Contract Specialist I

City of Alexandria • Alexandria, VA

13h • Onsite

About The Position

The City of Alexandria's Finance Department is looking for a sharp, collaborative and responsible Contract Specialist to join our team. As a member of the Purchasing Division, the Contract Specialist Is perform professional public procurement activities in a highly responsible environment, such as creating and maintaining solicitation, bid, and contract records as part of managing procurements through the City’s request for proposal (RFP) and invitation to bid (ITB) processes, as well as administering purchase requisitions, change orders, and sole source justifications. A significant aspect of this work involves use of the City’s enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, Munis.

Requirements

• Knowledge of public purchasing principles, methods, and procedures, including buying, inspection, storage, and shipping methods, and accounting practices as applied to procurement procedures.
• Knowledge of the laws, ordinances and other requirements governing the purchase of commodities and services, or the ability to readily acquire such knowledge.
• Knowledge of the various grades and qualities of a variety of materials, supplies, equipment, and services.
• Knowledge of different procurement methods (e.g. public / private partnerships, design-build processes, etc.) and the work of professional architecture and engineering firms.
• Skill with complex financial software systems (e.g. Munis, Oracle/PeopleSoft, etc.) as an end user.
• Ability to multi-task and work independently.
• Ability to make impartial, objective, and well-supported decisions.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing.
• A Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field.

Nice To Haves

• Virginia Contracting Associate (VCA) or other similar certification.
• Experience utilizing a complex ERP system (e.g. Munis, Oracle/PeopleSoft, etc.) as a highly skilled end user.
• Experience drafting requests for proposal (RFPs), invitations to bid (ITBs), or other formal solicitation documents.
• Experience interacting with external vendors in a professional capacity.
• Experience using auctioning sites such as GovDeals.

Responsibilities

• Designs and formats formal solicitations (e.g. RFPs, ITBs, RFQs, etc.) and develops purchasing strategies to maximize responses.
• Creates and maintains bid records in the City’s bids database, part of the City’s ERP, Munis.
• Tabulates and analyzes bids and proposals, determines lowest responsible bidder, refers to clients for review and award of contract.
• Creates and maintains contract records in the City’s contract database, part of the City’s ERP, Munis.
• Collaborates with Budget Office staff on procurement matters related to the administration of the City’s capital improvement program (CIP).
• Collaborates with Accounting staff on procurement matters related to invoices, receiving reports, and fixed asset creation.
• Provides department fiscal and subject matter staff with advice and guidance on acquisition planning and associated procurement issues.
• Troubleshoots issues with purchase order and purchase order change order records in the City’s ERP, Munis.
• Manages the City’s surplus inventory, auctioning, and record-keeping.
• Performs other duties, as assigned.

Benefits

• The City of Alexandria is an Equal Opportunity Employer and values diversity in its workforce. All qualified candidates will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, genetic information, military status, or disability.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level